Advertising in Spanish-Language media is growing, according to a new analysis of multi-cultural ad spending conducted by The Nielsen Company.
Total spending in Spanish-Language media climbed 2.7% to $4.3 billion through the first three quarters of 2008, compared to the same period in 2007. Procter & Gamble spent the most on Spanish-Language advertising through September 2008 with $133 million in expenditures. Of the top-10 advertisers in this category, DirecTV stood out with the most growth, spending almost five times as much as it spent through the first three quarters of 2007.

With 2009 underway, so, too, is the race for millions of Americans to meet their New Year’s resolutions. Whether it’s trimming love handles, lowering cholesterol, or stomping out cigarettes for good, consumers are more likely to sample new products and services that help them practice healthier habits. And advertisers are especially eager to help.
The first month of the year is not surprisingly the most popular advertising month for these “resolution” companies. Last January, they spent over $181 million on advertising for products and services related to weight loss and smoking deterrents. …

Baby boomer households represented more than 50% of sales in 98 of 122 consumer packaged goods (CPG) product categories analyzed in a recent study by Nielsen and the Hallmark Channel.  That adds up to almost $200 billion in total sales in those categories. 
But despite the evident buying power of boomers, many advertisers — intent of wooing loyal lifetime customers — continue to focus their advertising on younger consumers.
Writing in the January issue of Nielsen’s “Consumer Insight” online newsletter, Howard Shimmel, Senior Vice President, Consumer Insights, Nielsen, and Jess D. Aguirre, …

As the economy worsened in 2008, U.S. consumers cut discretionary spending — and shifted basic purchases to value-oriented brands and retailers.  Dollar stores and private label brands saw gains — but many other retailers and manufacturers suffered through dramatic declines.
Is the outlook any brighter for the new year?  Food marketing expert Phil Lempert, of SupermarketGuru.com, offers his take on what consumers and retailers can expect in 2009.
Nielsen Wire: How did consumer habits change in 2008 — and how should retailers adjust?
Phil Lempert:
In 2008 shoppers used more coupons, bought more store …

It’s official now that we are in a recession, one that has been particularly tough on the retail sector because consumer spending is the lowest it has been in years. However, these past few weeks we have seen a surprising uptick in traffic across the sites we track in our Nielsen Online Holiday Shopping Index.

Chuck Schilling
Hi! I’m Chuck Schilling, Research Director for Agency & Media Analytics, and one of the more recent additions to the Nielsen Online team. For my first of many blog posts, I’m going to focus on what I know best – print media brands. My career path has taken me through the offices of most major print publishers – both as an employee and consultant – so I can say with a certain level of confidence that the economic pressures felt by these once-reliable ad revenue generators are unprecedented.
Back in 1995, …

According to Nielsen, discretionary shopping trips continued to decline dramatically in November, as consumers shifted purchases online and to value-oriented retailers.
Overall in November, trips to retailers declined by 2.9% from the previous year.
Retail Channel Trends
Toy stores, electronics stores, and department stores saw the most dramatic declines in the number of shopping trips last month vs. a year ago.  Trips to toy stores dropped by 23%, trips to electronics stores were down by 21%, and trips to department stores fell by 17%, Nielsen reported.
Retail channels offering low prices and strong value …

Third quarter data released Thursday by Nielsen showed a small decline in ad spending from January to September of this year.
Overall ad spending dropped 0.6% in the first nine months of 2008, compared to the same time period in 2007. 
The drop came despite overall growth in TV advertising.  Four of the top-five growing media were TV-based.

It’s no secret that individual film genres attract very specific audiences. Chick flicks, like the “Nanny Diaries,” typically resonate strongly with women, while action films, like “3:10 to Yuma,” usually appeal strongly to men.
For advertisers trying to reach target audiences, understanding which film types attract specific consumers can make or break an advertising campaign.
In response, Nielsen PreView analyzed 400 recent movies to identify 11 key movie consumer segments.
Nielsen’s “Tent Pole” segment, for example, attracts viewers from all demographic segments. Popular family and action films, like “Spider-Man 3,” typify this segment. Advertisers …

A sharp decrease in advertising spending by the mortgage and loan sectors led a 10% slide in spending across the entire financial services industry this year, according to an analysis released Monday by Nielsen.
Mortgage and loan companies, including Web-based companies, combined to spend 62% — or $778 million — less on advertising during the first three quarters of 2008, compared with the same time period last year.
Overall, ad spending by financial services companies dropped from $5.9 billion in Q1-Q3 2007 to $5.3 billion through September of this year, according to Nielsen.  Nielsen’s data excludes …